Strategic Retreat
by JackPotr
Summary: After Sirius' death, Harry learns of things hidden from him and makes some realizations about both factions of the war. Along the way, Harry uses the unknown power to break free and start a new life. H/Hr


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters portrayed in this story.

AN: Hey everyone. Yes I'm still alive but just am extremely busy. I'm popping out another one shot which seems to be becoming my staple lately even though I am working on some longer stories still. Hopefully I'll really dig in and start writing them seriously soon as I won't post them until I have a good bit of material to keep you guys (and gals) happy.

There were two events in Harry Potter's life since returning to the magical world that caused him more pain and anguish than anything else. Seeing Sirius fall through the Veil of Death and watching Hermione struck down by a curse caused something to snap within his mind. All thoughts that this war could be fought in an honorable way by Dumbledore's rules quickly met their death. He knew he was going to have to get as nasty as the enemy and start taking them out. His only problem was he wasn't sure how at this point. His failure with Bellatrix brought that point home even further as he didn't have the insanity coursing though him that was prevalent in his opposition.

The revelations presented to him later in the Headmaster's office only drove that point home further into his brain. The power he knows not? What kind of crap was that? He knew he needed something that could eliminate his enemy and he supposedly had some kind of power that could do this but...what could it be? His only thoughts were of the world he grew up in. It was so much more advanced than the magical world and he often thought it would be better to return to that world on his own terms after all this was over.

The next few days were hard on him. He visited Ron and Hermione in the hospital and while she was still asleep, his _best mate_ was not and made a point of blaming Harry for the whole thing when they were the ones who pushed their way into accompanying him. Harry swore he heard Ron say something about his recklessness being because Harry had no family to be worried about but his anger was so great by that point that he couldn't swear that's what was said.

As in most cases, the loudest voice was what was listened to and with Hermione still asleep and recovering from the curse, Ron and Ginny pulled Neville and Luna away from Harry as well leaving him all alone. By the time Hermione woke, Harry was ashamed of his actions of the night of the DOM mission as what Ron said did have a grain of truth in them. He got his friends hurt by rushing in so he began to avoid them and the scathing remarks made to him by the Weasleys.

Hermione wasn't released until the night before they were to leave for home and by that point, Harry was keeping himself in seclusion. She never got the chance to speak with him because as soon as she woke, she was surrounded by the other four who Harry was avoiding. She was a little hurt that Harry didn't come by to check on her but with the way the others were acting, she really couldn't blame him. She never even got to say goodbye to him as he was never found on the train and managed to slip off and make it through the barrier before they ever began to gather their things.

If he didn't have enough trouble, he watched as the Order was making threatening remarks to his uncle. He knew it would only lead to more problems and burst through them even going as far a nudging Mad-Eye out of the way and casting a glare at Arthur, Remus, and Tonks. In an action he knew he'd pay for later, he started pushing his family towards the car and away from the idiots doing a good job of making his life harder.

The tension in the car could be cut with a knife and only Dudley was not shooting glares at him. Knowing he probably wouldn't hear the end of that little episode, Harry asked Vernon to pull over at a turnout.

"Sir, I think we'd all be happier if I didn't come home with you. How about we part ways here?"

"You promise to not show up at my house?"

"I can promise that I won't come willingly Uncle Vernon. The only way I'll show up there is if they drag me back but they'd have to catch me first and I don't plan on giving them the time to do that."

Vernon pulls the latch to open the boot as Harry gets out. Harry released Hedwig and told her to find him later. With his trunk on the ground, he opens it and pulls out his cloak. Before closing it, he stuffs the cage in and closes the lid. He then puts his hand on the trunk and pushes magic into it while thinking shrink. When he has accomplished that, he put the trunk in his pocket and steps to the side to look back in the open window.

"Thanks…I'll try not to let them catch me.

Dudley got out of the car and when Harry did and stood there until Harry was finished. As Harry turns, he's pulled into a hug by his cousin. "Thanks for last summer. I want to apologize for a lot of things so maybe we could meet up one day."

Harry was shocked but said. "I think I'd like that."

With a grin, Dudley pulls a wad of notes out of his pocket and puts them in Harry's hand. "Hopefully that will help. You can pay me back later."

"Thanks Dudley but why?"

Dudley glanced back at the car. "He's so wrong about so many things. I was too for a long time. When those things came last summer …you could have left me and you didn't. I would have…that's just who I was…I've thought a lot about it and well…I want to change…I don't want to be like him."

Harry slapped him on the back. "Good on you Dud. I'll keep in touch but if you ever get an owl from me saying get the hell out of there…do it…even if it means leaving them…I'll help you out."

Dudley nodded. "Bye Harry"

"Bye diddikins." Dudley chuckled and gave Harry the bird.

Dudley got back in the car as Harry slid his cloak over his head and disappeared. Vernon never looked back and drove off. Harry was glad he stopped Vernon when he did because he was only about two blocks from Charing Cross Rd so he was able to walk to the Leaky Cauldron within fifteen minutes. The Order knew how long it took them to get home so he was not worried about them knowing he was missing for a little while yet.

Harry sneaked through the bar and made his way to Gringotts to get his money sorted out. He learned he would have more available to him when he turned seventeen so he took a good portion of his trust vaults' funds out so that he could get a muggle bank account.

When he finished his business in the bank, Harry called for Dobby and had him return him to his first home. The cottage in Godric's Hollow was a mess and they set about cleaning it up. Dobby had to do most of the magical work as Harry would be detected the minute he cast a spell and that would mess up his plans. They didn't bother with repairing the house as Harry was looking at it as a temporary address but Dobby did clean up enough of the house so they could live there for a short time. In addition to minor repairs, Dobby placed some illusions so that no one would know they were there.

With a measure of safety and a little comfort, Harry started to plan out his next moves. Unknown to anyone, the possession in the Ministry opened Tom's memories to Harry and he was able to see and understand so much more now. As he learned of the Horcruxes, he finally saw how he could end this whole affair.

Another thing that happened in the cottage was Harry sat and listened to Dobby as he gave his reasons for wanting to bond with him. In the end, he granted Dobby his greatest wish and bonded to him. Before he went to bed that night, he also bonded with Winky. While he needed Dobby for his tentative plans, Winky was going to be used for the long game and was sent ahead to a property Harry learned about while in Gringotts. Her task was to make them a home but Harry told her to take her time as he didn't plan on arriving until the days following his birthday if they could accomplish what was needed to be done.

Dobby proved to be invaluable as the little elf bonded to him and then became his little thief. As Harry created his plan to eliminate the threats against him, Dobby used his bond's access to Harry's memories to collect the Horcruxes. The ring and the diadem were the first to come into their possession. The next one to be pursued was the locket in the cave. Dobby recovered the fake locket and then set out to find what happened to it. He delved into the memories once more and saw Kreacher helping the Dark Lord. His next stop was to Grimmauld Place and a confrontation with Kreacher. As soon as Dobby had the true locket in hand, he was attacked by Kreacher. The old elf was no match for the younger Dobby so he tried to use the Black family wards against him. He quickly found out they would not work on an elf bonded to the new Head of the Family Black. His actions against Sirius and now Harry through attacking Dobby saw the old elf stripped of his magic and fall to the floor dead.

The cup was easy as Dobby popped straight into Bella's vault. As a member of his family, Harry had the right of access to all vaults held by a Black so the cup was in his hands within an hour.

With all the Horcruxes dealt with but Nagini, Harry showed Dobby pictures of a military base and what he wanted. The living room at the cottage took on the appearance of a weapons storage facility. Harry wasn't looking to destroy the island so he didn't have any nuclear bombs but he was the proud owner (Borrowed) of 4 white phosphorus bombs which were alternated between 4 bunker busters.

With help from Dudley who was brought to the cottage by Dobby, Harry found everything he needed to help him do what he wanted be it books or equipment and a very good personal shopper named Dobby. The bombs were all wired together and hooked to a detonator. The detonator also held a dead man's switch. He did feel badly about raiding the military bases but felt his need was great and also in the defense of the country. He just hoped he didn't have to use the bombs and that they could be returned.

It took Harry until mid summer before he was prepared. It was then he took out a piece of parchment and wrote a note. He was about to send Hedwig with the note but thought better of it. She was too valuable to him to let Tom kill her when she delivered it. Instead, he sent Dobby to Diagon Alley's owl post office to have it sent. It was cold of him but he didn't know the other owl and Hedwig would get over it.

On the eve of his birthday, an owl flew to Tom and delivered the note. Luckily, the owl escaped without being killed and fed to the snake.

 _V._

 _PARLAY_

 _We need to meet face to face._

 _Come to the place where it all began for us on my birthday._

 _We have much to discuss concerning a certain orb of interest to us both. Under the rules of the meeting, I will be alone as I have broken from the Order. I expect you to show the same respect and come alone as this discussion is for our ears only._

 _HJP_

Tom frowned at that but under the rules of parlay…he really couldn't refuse. The boy wouldn't have done this if he didn't have a good reason so Tom began to plan. The clue about where the meeting was being held was pretty clear. He knew that if Harry was inviting him there then he would have the place set to give him an advantage. He knew Harry was honorable and under the rules of parlay, Harry would play fair but that did not mean that the boy was anywhere near the average wizard Snape made him out to be. That didn't mean he would though. His death eaters would be placed around the house while he was inside. He would also place anti-portkey and apparation wards before going in to ensure the boy didn't escape this time.

**HV**

The living room of the Potters' cottage was stripped of almost everything at least from the middle of the room. The couches and other furniture were pushed back against the wall and two chairs were left facing each other with a coffee table in between them. Harry thought about hiding the bombs behind the furniture but changed his mind as a deterrent to keep Tom from just killing him outright. He never expected Tom to play by the rules so kept the bombs in plain sight. They were under Dobby created wards which would take way more than an hour to disable and were under invisibility charms until Harry canceled them. Harry sat in one of the chairs as he stared out the open door. Harry wasn't moving because he was holding the detonator in his hand. The detonator was the creation of him and Dudley. It was a simple joystick from one of Dudley's computer games that was inscribed with runes to recognize Harry's magic. Between the two of them, they managed to figure out the runes to use to make it happen thanks to some of his mother's books in the study and Harry watching Hermione work with runes over the last few years. It was a challenging piece of work as it had three fail safes. The first was that it was tied to his magic. If his signature ended, the bomb would immediately explode. The second was a timer set at five minutes which Harry had to continuously reset. The third was the actual firing button. The runes were set to rest against his palm and read his magical signature. His trigger finger was the reset button for the timer and the thumb button on the top was the firing button.

Harry took a deep breath as he heard the multiple pops of apparation. From his vantage point Dobby was watching everything going on outside and moved to Harry. "Master Harry, bad snake man brought all his bad wand wavers. There also be blood suckers, Dementors, and wolvsies that are making a line around the house." Dobby tilted his head. "Snake man just put wards to stop Master leaving."

Harry smiled at Dobby. "That's okay Dobby. I expected it. Were you able to put the mines around the house?"

"Dobby has done so. Dobby wishes Master would let Dobby take him away from here now. Master can blow them up and leave."

"I'd like that Dobby but I can't do that yet. I need to finish some business with Tom first. If it all goes well, we will leave tonight. Now, I want you to get out of here for now and be safe. I'll call when it's over."

"Dobby stays with Master! Dobby won't look for another Master! Dobby rather die than be away from Master anymore."

Harry smiled. "If that is your wish my friend, just hide yourself."

Dobby was gone for at the most a minute before Harry heard something at the door and looked up. Tom was standing there looking around the house where he was disembodied. "Come on in Tom. We've got a lot to discuss."

"Don't use that name!"

"It is your birth name Tom. We are who we are no matter how much we'd like to change it. Personally, I'd rather just be Harry most of the time and not that whole boy-who-lived nonsense."

"And I'd rather not be Tom and only go by Lord Voldemort. You and Dumbledore are the last to know my secret but I will soon have that sorted."

Harry smiled. "Now Tom….there shouldn't be any posturing under parlay. I really just wanted to talk but you had to go and bring along your band of idiots. I knew you wouldn't play fair."

Tom shot him a look.

"Where are my manners Tom? Please take a seat. I have some of the tea and biscuits here to show my sincerity for this meeting."

"You are a fool Harry Potter."

"Am I?" Harry waved his wand and the disillusioned bombs appeared. He knew that the timer was running now. It was just a matter of how long it would take the Order to mobilize.

"What are those?"

Harry chuckled. "Surely you haven't forgotten your non-magical education. Those are my insurance that you and your thugs will behave. One mistake on your part and those bombs will detonate leaving a giant hole in Godric's Hollow. It'll be the end of us and probably your minions as well but if that don't kill them, the bombs I planted on the outside of the house will surely end their reign of terror."

Harry snapped his fingers again as a signal to Dobby and Tom's anti-traveling wards were covered with their own. Tom felt the wards cover his and he looked in Harry's eyes. "As I said, insurance. Either we part on peaceful terms or we never leave this place alive."

Tom sighed. "Well played young Harry. I can assume your death will have catastrophic effects?"

"You may assume so."

Tom's eyes glanced at the device Harry was holding. Harry chuckled. "You can try that way but the results would be the same…Now…can we get to the reason for this meeting?"

Tom nodded. "You have done well young Harry. You've had my followers fooled for how long?"

Harry chuckled. "I played my role well ever since I came back to the magical world. Snape was too easy…blinded by his hatred of my father as he was…Draco…well…if he's one of yours…I'll offer my condolences now. The boy does not have an ounce of subtlety and cunning in his entire body. You would have been better off to lead the half-bloods and muggleborn if you wanted power. Hell they don't get sorted into Slytherin so that their abilities _are_ hidden. Myself included. I'm seen as the brash and reckless Gryffindor but then we have a mostly Slytherin force outside this house at my complete mercy. Sure I might die in the process but the biggest risks usually require a sacrifice of some sort."

Tom asked. "So…your letter said you had things we needed to talk about?"

"It did." Harry then recited the prophecy word for word.

Tom sat there for a few minutes in thought before his eyes locked on Harry's. "So the old bastard set us up?"

"Yeah…I think so."

"And while we are technically immortal as long as the other lives, we are also the only ones who can kill the other?"

"Basically"

"What is this power I know not?"

Harry waved his hand around the room. "Muggle technology. I took a trip to Gringotts this summer and learned everything Albus kept hidden from me much like he did you many years ago. While he wanted to hide your magical ancestry from you…in my case he needed his pawn to be unaware of my ties to the muggle world. I mean, that's why he pointed you in my family's direction. We are lords in the non-magical realm."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Imagine my being presented to the Queen as a relation. The closer I get to her, the more I tell her about this shitty little world hidden from them and how they've treated me over the years. I'm sure I could find something in the wizarding world charter which would allow me to find enough violations that it would be voided and when the magicals fight back…we'd just come in and wipe everything off the map."

Tom paled as he did know what the non-magicals were capable of. He well remembered the atomic bombs used at the end of WWII. "I…what do you want Potter?"

"Several things. First…I want whatever it is you left behind in my scar removed so that we are no longer connected. Second, I want to be left alone. You and your minions will leave me to live my life in peace. Otherwise, I'll make sure everything you want to rule is wiped off the Earth. Also, you can add leaving the Potter and Black properties alone until I decide what I want to do with them. At this point, I'm probably going to sell the lot of it and start over somewhere far away."

"What would I get?"

"Well, I'd leave England…for how long depends on you. If that's not enough, with me gone, there's no one here who can really challenge your rule. So as long as you leave me alone, England is yours for the taking."

"Why?"

"Let's just say I have no love for England anymore. In the muggle world, much like you, I was beaten, starved, and abused. Teachers, police, relatives…no one ever tried to help me. Then I came to the magical world and it's just as bad or worse. Dumbledore had me jumping through hoops and then turned my friends against me. As far as I'm concerned, I have no ties to England anymore so you can burn the whole island for all I care."

Tom chuckled. "Severus said you didn't have it in you to be anything other than a hero and here you are telling me to go have fun. Very well, I accept your terms. May I pull my wand to see what needs to be done to the scar?"

"Certainly but if you try anything, this whole place will go."

Tom swallowed hard. He knew he'd lose his body but he'd be able to come back. It was only the thought of having to wait another thirteen years to build his strength and then he probably wouldn't have any followers left.

Tom waved his wand over the scar while Harry watched him closely. Once he was finished, Tom leaned back in his chair. "I can remove it but it will be painful. It may even make you pass out."

Harry snarled. "Just do it!"

Tom waved his wand and began pulling the piece of his soul out. As the black cloud began coming out, Harry's scar erupted in blood. The pain was unbearable but Harry held on and gripped the joystick even harder. It took about five more minutes before the last tendrils came loose from Harry's

forehead and the pain reduced dramatically. Whatever Tom did seemed to have affected him more than Harry as the cloud immediately pushed itself into Tom causing him to scream as well. Harry felt wiped out and Tom looked even worse but a smile began to form on his face.

As Tom sat there unable to move from exhaustion, Harry snapped his fingers and a box appeared. "You might want to look inside the box. That thing in my head gave me clues and a way to find others like it. You'd be amazed at what basilisk venom does to stuff like that."

Tom eyes glanced into the box and grew wider. "What have you done?"

Harry chuckled. "Do you really think I'm naive enough to think you'd let me go or even leave me alone. I mean really…that thing's been in my head for a long time…I picked up a little from it."

Tom fearfully started to get up but realized he was being held to the chair by some kind of ward. He knew he could break it but wasn't sure of the time he had to do so and asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make sure you and the rest of magical England don't bother me anymore. Goodbye Tom. Dobby?"

Dobby popped in and grabbed Harry's arm. "You ready?"

"Yes Master Harry."

Harry pressed the trigger button on the joystick and dropped it. In the blink of an eye, he and Dobby disappeared. Five seconds later, they arrived a mile from the Potter Cottage at a location Dobby had set up so they could watch the festivities. Evidently the magic Harry did there worked to their advantage as Dumbledore and a group of people arrived in front of his house. He knew it was the 'Order' along with Dumbledore who were largely responsible for the hell his life had been.

He was looking through the binoculars and started laughing. The Death Eaters and the Order were having a skirmish. Snape had arrived with the Order and was trying to get away before being seen but was being held by the wards. Harry saw Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall among the Order along with a few he thought he'd seen before around Privet Drive. There were quite a few red heads in the crowd and he thought he saw Ron and Ginny being protected by their mother as the spells started flying. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see a head of bushy hair. If she had shown up, he would have hated to do it but would have sent Dobby in harm's way to pull her out of there.

He kept watching the scene and saw Ron and Ginny shoved outside the wards and then disappear. Evidently someone put a portkey on them and sent them away along with the twins. As the fighting picked up, there was a large explosion as all the bombs went off simultaneously. There was a bright flash of the explosion which was then joined by the white phosphorus. Harry patted himself on the back as he witnessed the event. Those that weren't killed outright by the explosion were soon covered in and burning from the white phosphorus. Harry smiled as he saw the vampires and dementors turned to ash from the incredibly hot burning compound.

Harry watched the carnage for a few more minutes. He knew it was a little on the morbid side but he wanted to watch as both groups of his enemies were destroyed. As he watched the devastation of the opposing factions, he was satisfied that he had vanquished his enemies and removed the threat to himself. It may seem harsh or cold but he was pleased that those who did survive would never be the same therefore posing no threat to him again.

The next thought was about how many of his classmates had parents down there on either side and gave a little nod. Many of them, including the Weasleys, had made condescending remarks over the years about his being an orphan. Some were intentional while others did so thoughtlessly and with no regard to his feelings. He imagined they thought they were meaning well but every little comment whether in taunting or pity hurt just the same.

He knew it was dark of him, hell everything he had done tonight was probably dark, but it would do them some good to know the pain of being an orphan. In the past he would have never considered taking such a path but they were the ones who had taken everything away from him. The only drawback to this lesson was that most of them would not have the resources Harry now had access to which would make life for him a lot easier. At least Ron would now have a true reason to be jealous of him.

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the portkey given to him by the Goblins. It would take him to a house the Potters kept on Tortola in the British Virgin Isles. He held out his arm to Dobby. "Shall we go join Winky? I'm sure she has the house ready for us by now."

"Dobby saw Miss Grangy not with the others. Is Master Harry going to let her know where he is?"

"I'll write her in a few weeks…maybe."

It was two months later that Hermione was sitting in a completely different Hogwarts. Professor Flitwick was the new headmaster with Sprout as his deputy. They had worked hard over the last few weeks and with some assistance from the DMLE, replaced the staff lost in the explosion so that the school year could begin. The change in the school was noticeable as soon as they walked into the welcoming feast with the change in administration and the deaths of most of the Death Eaters. Most the DE children were subdued by the knowledge that Harry Potter had destroyed both factions of the war…by muggle means. With the strongest and the best being wiped out so quickly, there was a new fear and respect from the pure bloods for the muggle born and raised. The magical community couldn't understand how he had done it and escaped and they knew he escaped by the fact that he set off the magical detectors after the explosion that took out a good portion of the leadership of magical Britain.

When the people in the Underage Magic Office tried to send him warnings and summons, the owls just sat there letting them know Harry Potter was far out of their reach. As word got out that Harry Potter was still out there, most of the pure-bloods bigots began to keep their mouths shut just in case Harry came back to finish the job. The only group to openly make any threats towards Harry was the Ministry and it wasn't a concern for him as he was well aware of how inept they were. Besides, Fudge was probably only mad because his source of side income dried up with the death of Lucius Malfoy.

That morning, a post owl flew in and landed beside Hermione with an envelope from her parents. As she thanked the owl and began to open the envelope, she noticed it was thicker than usual. When opened, another envelope fell out with the expected letter. She picked up the envelope and recognized the untidy scrawl used to address the envelope. She also noticed the postmark of Tortola BVI and was immediately interested. She thought about it for a second remembering all the people who wanted to get their hands on Harry for decimating the magical community in one night and slipped the letter into the pocket of her robes. She knew there was a warrant out for his arrest but finding someone to actually serve it would be another matter. She smiled and thought 'This ought to be good' and decided to wait until she was alone to read it. There was no need letting these idiots know where her Harry was.

It was later that evening when she finally had time alone that she crawled into her bed and pulled the curtains to give her some privacy. The day had been horrible with Ron continually fussing about how Harry had killed his parents and left him an orphan. She remembered all the remarks Ron made over the years about Harry having no one and knew Harry felt like he was being pitied for his situation and how with the loss of his godfather…it would only get worse.

Her excitement was betrayed by her shaking hands. She knew this was the only letter sent to any of Harry's friends and despite being a little angry at him for leaving her without saying goodbye AND his unorthodox method of ending the war, she was thrilled he wrote her. It was actually her father that made her see sense when he applauded Harry's method of ending the threat to them all. He in fact said that the government would have handled those terrorists the same way. He already knew through his contacts in the military that while the government was a little upset at the way he just appropriated the weapons, they were more than pleased with his results. He was even told that they would have done the same themselves if they could have ever located them.

 _My Dearest Hermione,_

(Her eyebrows rose at the greeting.)

 _Wow. Where do I even begin?_

 _I guess the first is this is not a goodbye letter. At least I hope it isn't! So much happened at the end of last year. There's so much that you don't know and most of it cannot be put in a letter._

 _I guess second is I'm sorry I was the reason you got hurt last year. It's one of the things I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for since you mean more to me than anyone on this planet. There are so many things I've wanted to say to you. Things that I never thought I would have the chance to but after this summer, I can finally start to believe that I may have a future after all._

 _I guess I have your curiosity up Huh? Well, the main thing is I love you and have ever since you were petrified in our second year. I think it was that moment that I realized I couldn't live without you in my life. I can imagine the look on your face. Well, it really doesn't matter at the moment anyway as there's nothing 'I' can do about it._

(She was thankful for the silencing charms around her bed as she let out a loud cheer.)

 _Anyway, there was a prophecy (Yeah, I know) that said I was the only one who could defeat Tom. I admit my solution was extreme but I realized just how much Dumbledore and the Order had screwed with me over the years and yeah Tom and his merry men may have taken my parents and godfather from me but the rest all fell on Albus. I know you thought the world of him but really think about it. He knew everything I went through growing up and was always coincidentally absent when the shit hit the fan. If that isn't enough then there is the fact that every member of that Order kept me locked in that house._

 _Anyway, I made an agreement with my 'family' where I promised to never darken their door again unless I was caught and forced to. My first stop was to Gringotts where I learned just how much had been hidden from me. I don't think Sirius was in on it but you never know. I think he may have thought I knew what I needed to and was either controlled or too damaged from Azkaban to put the pieces together. Well, I guess I won't know for a long time when I can finally ask him._

 _So, you know what I did and to be honest, the thought of putting you in danger again just wasn't gonna work. Sorry, I know you can take care of yourself but I couldn't watch that again. It broke my heart when I thought I'd never see your smile again or hear you say 'Honestly Harry'._

 _Now you know how to get in touch with me. Send the letters to your parents and let them post it the normal way because no owls can find me except Hedwig and she's sitting here beside me. (A little annoyed too since she can't take this letter.)_

 _I want to keep in touch with YOU! I want to see YOU again and see if we can be MORE than best friends. I'd also like YOU to come visit me someday. The beaches and sun are incredible and I've decided to take sailing lessons since I'm more than likely trading in my Firebolt. I just realized it's still locked up in that castle somewhere. Oh well, maybe the girl I'd like to be my girlfriend will liberate it for me._

 _I Love You,_

 _H_

Hermione fell back on the bed holding the letter close to her heart. Her mind was spinning but it kept going back to one thing…he asked her to be his girlfriend and explore a future together. She was thrilled with the idea but concerned about the distance between them. Should she say yes? Heck yeah! He's Harry Freaking Potter…her best friend and so much more. She slid the letter under her pillow and went to get ready for bed. When she came back, she pulled the letter out and held it close as she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

A month later, Harry was sitting on his deck looking out over the vast ocean as he sipped some lemonade Winky had brought him. He heard a soft pop and Dobby laid an envelope on the table in front of him. He looked down and saw the meticulously neat writing of the only person who knew how to find him other than Gringotts. He was a little scared to open it as he didn't know if he would soon be facing British Aurors. If Hermione had turned him in, he didn't know what he'd do and if she hated him, well he didn't want to go there. With slightly trembling hands, he reached for the envelope and began to rip the flap open. He took a small bit of comfort that it was sent by muggle post but only a small amount.

As he opened the envelope, two letters fell out. His stomach almost came up out of his mouth at the thoughts that were running through it. He looked at both of the envelopes and saw the different handwriting on each of them. Both were neat but one was decidedly more masculine and he assumed it was written by Dr. Granger. Afraid of what Hermione's letter might contain, he reached for it first and with trembling hands, started to open it.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I want to thank you for removing the threat that was facing us all. I also want you to know that I hold no ill will towards you for my daughter getting injured at the end of the last school year._

 _Now that the formalities are out of the way and hopefully you are more relaxed, there are some things I think you ought to know. I have some contacts in the military who are most pleased that you eliminated the magical terrorist problem in England. In fact, I think they would like to reward you for the service you provided for the Crown. Unfortunately, the fact that you broke several laws in 'acquiring' the devices you used to correct the problem has them in a dilemma. Under normal circumstances, you would be charged for the crime and put in prison but again for the service you did for your country, they are willing to overlook the problem and call it a wash._

 _I personally think you did the right thing and a hell of a job at that. I feel I can relax now knowing my daughter is safe in that world for the first time._

 _On an even more personal note, you have our permission and blessing to seek out a relationship with Hermione. I don't think I could find a better man for my daughter if I tried._

 _In response to a question you posed Hermione's mother and I, I think we could see ourselves spending the Christmas holidays in BVI. Depending on Hermione's response to you, we will make plans to join you there but I don't think you'll have to worry too much. I don't think I am violating any father/daughter confidences by saying that you are all she has talked about for six years now._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Dr. Jake Granger_

Harry breathed out in relief. At least her father thought he did the right thing. He knew he was breaking the law by appropriating the bombs but it was a lot simpler than trying to build them or acquiring on the black market. He chuckled at that as he had no idea how he would even get in touch with the black market. Dr. Granger's last comment gave him some comfort in that he now at least knew Hermione felt strongly about him. He just hoped it was as much as he felt about her. He couldn't put it off any longer as the suspense was killing him and reached for her letter. His hands were shaking again as he unsealed it. This one letter could make him the happiest young man in the world or it could completely devastate him.

 _My Dearest Harry,_

 _I love you too!_

 _I am sure we will have a long future together but I don't think something as mundane as being your girlfriend is suitable in this case. Since you are so far away and you want to be together, I don't think I would accept anything less than a marriage proposal. I already know what you asked my parents so I also know what you are thinking. In case you didn't understand that, my answer is yes._

 _Now that all that is out of the way, your heart can slow down a little and yes, I do know you that well too. I guess that's why we work so well together as friends and a couple. It was suggested to me (by my mother) that we have been a couple for years already so this just seems natural._

 _On to more normal things. Yes I was upset at you running off at first. I noticed you avoided that whole issue in your letter but I don't blame you for what you did. They were ALL a threat to us. You can thank my father for getting through my stubbornness to see things as they really are. Oh, and you have a new title over here. You are now Undesirable #1 for you actions against magical Britain. According to dad, the normal government is saying 'good job' even though you appropriated several restricted items._

 _Knowing you, you had a little help from a little friend. Make sure you give him a hug from me for looking after you since I can't be there. Also tell Winky to watch over you both until I can be there. I went looking for her and found her gone as well._

 _On to other news, this year is quite different from all our previous ones. Its kinda weird really. The classes are actually better as a whole except for Transfiguration but she played her part as well. I can see that now. The students are interesting as well. Ronald can't understand how you would be so cruel as to make him an orphan as if those condescending remarks weren't reason enough. I still remember him saying he wrote home that first year and told his mother that you wouldn't be getting any Christmas presents and I remember the expression on your face. I promise you that once we are together again, I'll make sure you never have to feel sad or alone again._

 _As for the pure-bloods including the little Death Eaters, they have been surprisingly quiet lately and I've not heard the word mudblood yet this year. I had to chuckle at what I was told the other day when I said something about it. I was told that they were scared to say anything in case one of us got the idea to pull a Harry Potter on them and wipe them out the muggle way. Guess we aren't so beneath them anymore. By the way, I loved the 'pulling a Harry Potter' on them comment especially after I remember you once telling someone to be careful before I went all Hermione on them._

 _I miss you so much! I can't wait to see you again! Please write me back soon as I need to hear from you as often as possible since I don't have you here with me everyday anymore._

 _Yours Always,_

 _Hermione_

Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. She wasn't mad and she loved him. It was better than he ever hoped for. Those tickets would be sent to the Grangers ASAP as the thought of Hermione in a bikini was something he was looking forward to.

Harry Potter was nervous as he stood at the Tortola airport waiting on the plane to stop taxiing. He needn't have worried because as soon as her eyes locked on his, a brown haired bullet was racing across the terminal. She hit him at a run and took him off his feet much to the amusement of everyone watching. It took several throat clearings by Jake and Miranda for their lips to come apart but even then, their arms stayed around each other in a fierce hug. When she finally stepped back to look at him, she was impressed by what she saw. He had filled out quite a bit and looked the healthiest she had ever seen. It might have been the lack of glasses and deep golden tan he sported but he looked _so_ good to her.

Not letting her go, he gave hugs to the Granger parents before leading them out of the terminal and flagging down a taxi. As they got in the man turned around. "Where to Mr. Black?"

"Take us to my house Nigel."

With a nod they were off. Harry pointed out things he had planned for them and they saw enough to plan the rest of their visit. The Grangers were impressed with Harry's house. They knew it probably wouldn't be very large since it was a vacation home but the four bedroom house built on the side of a cliff was spacious and afforded a nice view of the ocean. The only thing to cause a glitch in their arrival was when Hermione asked Dobby to place her things in Harry's room. Three sets of eyebrows rose at her declaration but she waved them off and said. "We are going to be forced to be apart for most of the next year and a half. I want every minute I can get even if it means just sharing a bed together."

Their first night was spent cuddled together but the second night, they both gave something they could never take back. It might have been the fact that Harry took them out on his sailboat for the day and it was a romantic and peaceful day that wasn't shared by a mother, father, daughter and her boyfriend but by two couples. It might have been the fact that they had been separated for the longest period since they were eleven years old. It also might have been the fact that the tiny bikini worn by Hermione had Harry's hormones in overdrive. Hermione was also suffering from the same problem as Harry never put a shirt on the whole day and it was obvious he had been working out. The main benefit to the night of passion they shared was that he wouldn't allow Hermione out of their room before his ring was on her finger. Breakfast was delayed another hour following that.

Following that initial visit, Hermione began traveling to Harry's house whenever she had a break. Thanks to a permanent portkey bought from the Goblins by Harry, Hermione only had to step out of the Hogwarts wards and she could be on her way to see Harry. She found it very relaxing to spend the Hogsmeade weekends with him lying out in the sun instead of suffering through the Scottish winter.

She was asked how she maintained her tan and where she went during those weekends but she always refused to answer. The only person who was aware of where she went was Professor Flitwick since she needed his permission to be away from the castle.

Her Easter break and summers were spent in Tortola with her parents joining whenever they could. They were able to spend quite a bit of time with the teens thanks to a portkey that was kept in the drawer of Harry's Gringotts account manager's desk that was for their use only and eliminated the long flights that would normally occur when traveling to the Caribbean.

After continuing their long distance engagement for too long of time, in the young couples' opinion, the day of Hermione's graduation from Hogwarts was finally upon them. He was so proud of her that there was no way he wouldn't be there on her special day especially if you add in the fact that he had more plans to continue the celebration.

As expected, Hermione graduated with honors and was named top student. Under glamours, Harry stood with Jake and Miranda and applauded with everyone else. Despite the fact that he was with her parents, Hermione could have easily picked him out in the crowd. Their eyes locked for a minute conveying so much with just a look and she answered his raised eyebrow with a smirk. He knew she wanted to say goodbye in her own special way today and as top student, she was required to give a speech. As the applause had died down, Harry sat back and waited for what was sure to be scary and exciting for his normally rule abiding fiance. The only comfort she took from what was approaching was that Dobby had already collected her things and moved them to their house. She wasn't really worried about repercussions due to the fact that she knew Harry was there and he always had a way to escape any situation.

 _Esteemed Dignitaries, Our Incredible Hogwarts Staff, Fellow Graduates, and Returning Students_

 _Today marks an end and a beginning. It's the end of our time as students and the beginning of our lives as adults trying to make a name for ourselves in the larger world outside these hallowed walls and wards. Our journey started seven years ago with a few more students than we have here today. We lost a few along the way for various reasons. Some made some bad choices, some just disappeared without any reason, and one decided he had enough. We the Class of 1998 have probably had the most interesting and controversial tenure at Hogwarts as any other class due to the events surrounding one of our missing._

 _Myself and one other started our Hogwarts career full of hope. That hope was of a new life where we finally fit in due to our abilities and the fact that we were different from all the other muggle kids. Sadly, we never found what we were looking for as we were looked down upon. Me because of my heritage and him because he was not what everyone expected. We suffered years of bigotry and hatred thanks to a backwards and archaic society that placed blood above ability. Something many have come to regret in recent years._

(There was a wave of uneasiness running through the crowd.)

 _Of course, I'm speaking of Harry James Potter. How could we forget all he has done for our society? Many of you may not agree with me but I know in my heart that he saved us all. Many of us, whether we be light, neutral, or dark, were trapped between opposing factions in the blood war. Some of us chose sides, some of us remained neutral, and Harry did what was necessary for our society to survive and in the process was vilified and made Undesirable #1._

 _I'll have to admit, at first I agreed with most of the magical world and couldn't understand how Harry could think the actions he took were justifiable but after careful consideration, I can't deny the benefit we have all received from it. We no longer have a maniac out to kill everyone who disagreed with him and on the reverse of the coin, we no longer have a senile old fool who tried to guilt us into thinking his way was the best._

 _(There were a lot of grumblings in the crowd now.)_

 _I think the best thing that has happened is that there is now a modicum of respect between both cultures. If Harry achieved anything besides granting us peace once again, it was this wary respect that is now held. I know many of you don't like what I'm saying and quite frankly, you are entitled to your opinion just as I am and I will not apologize for it._

(She took a deep breath.)

 _This last term and especially this last week once the exams were complete, our thoughts and conversations have turned towards the future_. _What does it hold for us? What will we do? Will we ever see each other again?_

 _Big questions that many of us don't have the answer to. As my classmates know about me, I pride myself on having the answers and in this case, I can happily say that I do. My future looks brighter than any I've heard this last week. I know my life will be full of happiness because my partner will be beside me every step of the way. The answer to the last question is more difficult as I say goodbye to Magical Britain and doubt we will ever cross paths again._

 _You see, I've been offered a position that I couldn't possibly say no to and one that will fill me with happiness and love. I only hope you find the same for yourselves. Thank You._

Harry and her parents particularly enjoyed her speech despite all the grumblings around them. As she stepped from the podium, she was greeted by polite if subdued applause except for the three people who meant the most to her. Their loud clapping and whistles completely drowned out the rest of the crowd as Professor Flitwick retook his place at the podium.

"I find myself saddened by the loss of such a gifted young witch from our society. I know that where ever you go, you will do amazing things. Just for the sake of curiosity, what are your plans Miss Granger?" He asked with a smirk.

Her eyes turned to Harry with a beaming smile on her face. She stepped away from her fellow graduates and made her way up the aisle. "Of course Professor. The first thing on my list is marrying my wonderful fiance and then in August, I will be attending a university alongside him. We will also begin providing my future husband's families with heirs and heiresses to continue his lines."

Harry then stood and pulled her into an embrace. The Grangers stood and joined in the hug. Harry then waved his hand causing the glamours to fall away and he turned and gave the tiny headmaster a wink. Complete silence fell on the hall for several minutes before bedlam erupted and any Ministry employees in attendance moved to apprehend the wanted man. Harry pushed a large amount of magic into the portkey as the others grabbed on and disappeared in front of everyone's eyes.

It was a simple yet effective lesson. They could not catch him. They could not hold him. They could not control him. Harry Potter was free to come and go as he pleased and the only people who could have been used to get to him were gone along with him. Once the hall got quiet again, the only thing that was heard was a loud "Bloody Hell" as Harry just disproved the myths again and left through the wards that were considered to be the most powerful in Britain.

They were married that very night on the beach near their home. Hermione's speech was proven as fact as they immediately started on their family. By the time they were done, the Potter and Black families were safe from dying out as each family had three new members. The Grangers remained close by and tended their grandchildren while Harry and Hermione went to school. Upon graduation, they began a new adventure which utilized the traits that were so ingrained in them from a young age. Hermione's need to help others less fortunate than her and Harry 'saving people thing' lead then to becoming ambassadors to the magical and muggle worlds as they fought for the rights of others. They never stepped foot back in England since Harry was still listed as Undesirable #1 but their efforts were felt even there as the rest of the magical world pressured magical society to drop the inane prejudices of the past and try to mature as a people.

It was met with resistance for quite a few years until the ICW tried a different tact. The thing that made magical England finally listen was when the ICW threatened to send in their special ambassador to see that the changes needed to be made were accomplished by whatever method he deemed necessary. The fact that the name of the ambassador was Harry Potter may have had something to do with it as the Ministry didn't want a repeat of the summer of 1997.


End file.
